Summer is crazy.
There’s an immense amount of pressure to have the ‘perfect’ summer with your kids. To go to all the best attractions, send them to the best camps and have the most fabulous fun-filled playdates.
But this summer we did something radical. We took a different route.
We didn’t schedule any camps. We’re only visiting a few attractions here and there. And dare I say it, we haven’t had a single play date since school ended.
Instead? We’re watching cartoons in the morning. We’re swimming in the lake. We’re playing in the sandbox. We’re catching bugs and catching freckles.
And? We’re building a treehouse.
Because here’s what I know about our family. We spend most of our time in the city, and I’m so grateful for that. Our kids have amazing experiences because of where we live. But they also have a pretty scheduled life. We live in a busy neighbourhood, and we play in parks and splash pads, but there’s not a lot of opportunity for our toddlers to be… free.
I grew up in the country (to be clear, I mean the country – guys, my high school was bigger than my entire hometown), and part of me always longs to go back. I get city-overload, and need the quiet and calm of the country to balance me out. It took me a while to sort that out for myself, and even longer to really embrace it.
And I want that same balance for my kids. I want them to feel excited by the city. To know all the adventure and opportunity and growth that can come from living among millions of other people.
But I also want them to be able to appreciate the quiet. To know the joy of catching a frog, of diving into a quiet lake. And of building a tree house. The joy of dreaming up a project with your cousins, building it with your grandpa, and of imagining a million ways to play in it.
And before you ask, yes, roughly 100 trips to The Home Depot Canada went into the build so far, and about 57 more will be in store before it’s over, guaranteed. But that’s all part of the fun. Choosing the wood, the roofing, the steering wheel and ‘engine gears’ that obviously also need to be included… it’s all part of the summer treehouse project magic. And it’s a part that our kids only get to experience when they’re outside of the city.
So, all of this is to say be brave. Live your own best summer. Listen to your heart, and do it your own way, the way that feels best for you.
Oh, and build the dang treehouse.
xo
Note: Big thanks to our friends at The Home Depot who provided some of the fabulous materials we used to build this little play house. They’re always our first stop for any DIY project!
